1. Field
One or more embodiments relate to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium by using electrophotography.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus using electrophotography prints an image on a recording medium by supplying toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor to form a visible toner image on the photoreceptor, transferring the visible toner image onto the recording medium, and fusing the transferred visible toner image on the recording medium.
A process cartridge is an assembly of components for forming a visible toner image. The process cartridge is a consumable product that is detachable from a main body of an image forming apparatus and replaceable after lifespan thereof has ended. A process cartridge may have various structures such as a structure in which a photoreceptor, a development roller that supplies toner to the photoreceptor, and a container portion containing toner are integrally formed, a structure divided into an image cartridge including a photoreceptor and a development roller and a toner cartridge containing toner, or a structure divided into a photoreceptor cartridge including a photoreceptor, a development cartridge including a development roller, and a toner cartridge containing toner.
In a process cartridge having a structure including an imaging cartridge and a toner cartridge, the imaging cartridge has a structure in which a photoreceptor unit including a photoreceptor and a development unit including a development roller are connected to each other.